Entry tags:

tdms

JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE

JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to January’s Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: NEW YEAR'S.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Mind alteration, alcohol, options for self-harm, knife violence.

Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

YOU BETTER GET THIS PARTY STARTED

It's party night at the Grady Hotel and the hosts are pulling out all the stops. Champagne, funny hats, pictures, great music, and a wonderful countdown clock that let's everyone know just how much closer they're getting to the end of what has probably been a pretty crazy year for everyone. The glasses never seem to empty themselves and the citizens serving them out to people seem to be making extra sure that everyone has one for themselves. Regardless of whether or not you usually like champagne, anyone with a glass in their hands will eventually be tempted to take a sip, especially the closer it gets to midnight - the bubbles make you giggly, friendly, talkative in a way that you may never have been before. It lifts up just about anyone's spirits, no matter how rough of a time they've had before (or during their time in) Deerington. It doesn't seem to get you drunk, no matter how much you drink, but it definitely makes you more euphoric. Enough so that you might start to think you can do anything; tell someone how you really feel about them, compliment whoever you've had your eye on all night and see if they want to spend more time together, make up with someone you've been fighting with lately, do a magic trick you never were able to master, or even something as drastic as fly when you know you can't. Hopefully you start off trying to jump from a chair, but there is definitely roof access for those who are a little more daring - maybe someone a little more sober will have the wherewithal to stop you before it's too late.

There is also plenty of entertainment happening in various parts of the room. A table with beer pong for the adults who never outgrew their college days, a dart board, card games in the back, and a game called Guess the Candy for those who want to test their sweet tooth. Anyone who wins a round of any game will get rewarded with a small gift from home (no bigger than a toaster). Unfortunately will disappear once you leave the party, so make sure to enjoy it while you can.

The dance floor is also lively, the music upbeat and easy to move to no matter what your personal tastes might be. If you want a random dancing partner, take a dance card! Each one has a random, glowing number on it and it's your goal to find the person who matches. Once you do, no matter who it is, you'll find yourself literally stuck together (hopefully just by your hands, but it can be any body part) and will have to go through an entire dance (or maybe even two) with them before you come unstuck.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Everyone starts to gather around the countdown clock as it nears midnight, and when it's down to ten seconds, obviously you've got to start counting too! Everyone seems to be having such a good time as they shout out each number (10! 9! 8!) and you might not even notice the way some of the people around you have started to get a little... twitchy? (7! 6! 5!) Or the way some are starting to get more handsy, pushing themselves up close to whomever is beside them. (4! 3! 2!) And it isn't until they all shout 1! in unison that the room seems to shift in two very different moods.

If you're lucky, the person next to you will just have the urge to kiss you - and you might even have the urge to kiss them back! After all, sharing a kiss at midnight is supposed to bring you good luck for the rest of the year. And with the way everyone else is starting to act, you might need it. For some, the urge to kiss might be stronger than just a chaste peck. For those who find themselves wanting to get a little more intense, it might be best to try to sneak out the back and head back to your place. The moment you step outside into the cold air, though, the urges seem to disappear - unless, of course, you were in the mood all on your own.

If you're unlucky, there's a murderous rage that runs through you, and there seems to be a table of weapons near by to help encourage a messy time. Various knives, swords, machetes, and other blades are laid out, enough for almost everyone. You might find yourself driven to plunge your weapon into the closest person, or maybe someone you've hated for a long time, and even more - maybe someone you've loved. Whoever it is, the image of their face will be burned into your mind and you'll do everything you can to try and make them bleed. Hopefully they can fight for their life - or at least evade your attacks until they can trick you into going outside. Like the desire for love, the desire for murder will also disappear the moment that someone steps outside, regardless of whether or not they did so on purpose or just to try and hurt whoever they're after.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

A: Cards For Sorrow, Cards For Pain

[this is not where Coop expected to be, but one dream is as good as another, he figures. he may as well glean what he can from this one. he's settled in at one of the card tables, considering his hand, and looks over at the players around the table, reading them carefully.

be warned: he counts cards]

B: Happy New Year

One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[are you next to him? he's kissing you. once he pulls away, grinning, he blinks a couple of times]

I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.

[he doesn't look embarrassed, though. he doesn't believe in regrets.]

C: Unhappy New Year

[he sees the nearest person going for a weapon - maybe they're attacking you. maybe you're the murderous one. either way, he grabs their wrist, frowning]

Careful, friend. I've got a feeling you're going to regret this even more than any hangover come morning.

[Why hello there. Eliot wasn't going to argue with a New Years kiss, but he wasn't expecting it to come from some random man with... very greasy hair.

He was cute, though. Eh, could do worse. He smiles at the stranger.]

New Years. It's tradition, isn't it?

[excuse you, it's not grease, it's pomade. don't magicians use that? Houdini was very fond.]

I suppose you're right. Thank you for the perspective. Normally, the handshake comes before the kiss, but all things considered ...

[one crisp handshake is offered with precision and a smile]

Special Agent Dale Cooper.

[ John's got quite the history with gambling, although that doesn't mean he wholly abstains. Clearly. With a glass of champagne nearby, it's easy to forget the way cards and bluffing and blinds make him feel, at least, and as he spends more and more time at the table, he's starting to notice at least one of his companions is a bit more savvy than some others.

He folds and Cooper wins the hand. Finding that he finally wants to make introductions, reaches across the table to offer a handshake after all the chips have been collected. ]

Name's John Blake, but most everyone just calls me Blake. You're pretty good.

[Tough to tell at midnight, sir.

He takes that handshake with a nod.]

Eliot Waugh. A pleasure. In this place things generally don't happen in the right order, so this is par for the course, as it were.

Special Agent Dale Cooper.

[he meets that handshake with the same zeal he's shown in every hand and with every sip of champagne]

You're not bad yourself, Blake. I'm having quite the good time, tonight.

[he taps his chips] And I'm not about to be a sore winner. Buy you a round?

Well, it is a dream, or so I've been told. In that case, it makes sense, and in that context, the right order may actually be the incorrect one. Don't you think?

happy new year:

[ Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four.

Steve’s no stranger to the urge to kiss another person. It comes over him the same as it does anyone else. Acting on it is another story altogether. The dames are never interested and fellas aren’t something he’s allowed to consider. But the clock ticks down in this new town, so far from Brooklyn and home, and he’s overcome with how much he wants to kiss the person beside him.

Three. Two. One.

Does he do it? He’d have to ask first. Steve... can’t. He shouldn’t. They’ve never spoken. He adjusts his tie, it’s too tight. ]

Excuse me.

[ What are the chances they’d feel the same? ]

network; un: srogers:

Steve Rogers.
Brooklyn, United States.

Looking for an explanation on how and why we’re here.
Thank you for your time.

wildcard:

[ Find Steve anywhere! ]

ooc:

[ Steve is from First Avenger right as he’s about to be given the serum. I’d love the chance for canon updates so I’m starting early! Tag me or send me a message through pm or on discord @ rae#1351 to plot. ]

Definitely, but let's do a couple more rounds first — gimme a chance to win some back.

[ Said with good humor, although he's mostly just hoping to make conversation over the card table where it's a bit quieter and less raucous. ]

Special agent, huh? For the FBI, or...?

[ He seems American enough John thinks it's a decent guess. In the meantime, he receives his cards and doesn't yet bother to look at them, although he antes, of course. ]

[ the person at his side is, in fact, a fella. he's only got a few inches on steve, but he's dressed to the nines, and the smile he shoots the other man is sly and charming and flirtatious. there's also something.. other about him, not quite human, though it's doubtless difficult to put a finger on how. ]

Darling, [ he says, accent odd and impossible to place, voice warm with pleasure and amusement. ] I certainly hope you're about to ask for a New Year's kiss. I love this tradition.

Edited 2018-12-30 19:58 (UTC)

I. Arrival

[Steve's sitting on the porch of the house, with the basket in his lap, his feet kicking off the edge as he unpacks the contents. The letter, the handgun, a sketchbook bound in green and what looks to be a sort of school insignia embossed on the front, a set of drawing pencils, a picture of his mother-- that's where he stops, picking it up and staring at it. Steve's a very young boy in the photo, and Sarah has her arms around him and a smile on her face, although there's a quiet strain around her eyes.

Steve holds it in small hands, looking at the photo like it's something he hasn't seen in a very, very long time. It quits some of the unease of being here, the way that his head's been pounding even since his confrontation with Erksine-- his failure. He thinks he passed out. He's not sure if he was taken somewhere, in Hydra retrieved him, but he can't imagine they'd be giving him rewards for his failure.]

Hello?

[The place seems quiet, empty, eerily still. Maybe the gun should be reassuring, but it isn't.]

II. New Years

[Really, it should probably go without saying that Steve does something dumb once people start pulling knives on other people. He himself just really wants to kiss someone, but it's not enough to completely override the urge to do what's right. So there he is, asthmatic with a tiny frame, pushing someone out of the way as someone else goes to stab them, his small hands balled into fists he holds in front of him. Helmut had taught him to fight, or at least tried and Steve doesn't know how to keep his head down.]

Get out of here!

[Words yelled at whomever he'd just pushed out of the way, staring up at their assailant, head held high. Maybe you want to give this guy a hand before he gets himself killed, maybe he just saved you, or you've got a knife and an urge to hurt someone. Either way, Steve is all burning eyes, ninety eight pounds of willingness to throw himself into situations where he doesn't belong for the benefit or someone else.]

III. Wildcard

[Feel free to find Steve anywhere else! Down for kissing stuff if that's your jam, Steve will be very surprised. He'll definitely go exploring the businesses around town, and I'm down to write prompts if needed. He's from the 1940s era of the Secret Empire alt-universe, after realizing he can't kill Erksine.

Now, let's talk about the Hydra thing. Steve is pro-Hydra for anyone that might be uncomfortable for, but it is worth mentioning that Hydra in this universe is a sort of ancient cult. His mentor Eliza is openly against throwing in with Hitler and Steve himself later talks about it having been to the detriment of Hydra.

He does get very authoritarian and persecutes minorities (namely Inhumans) when he goes all Supreme Leader of Hydra but I have no intention of playing him from that point. My big interest here is seeing how CR could affect that trajectory.

natalia_vdova#0150 @ Discord /

natalia_vdova for questions!]

Edited 2018-12-30 20:26 (UTC)

[ Steve can't see beyond a two-foot perimeter. There's a man wearing an expression on his face while looking at him that nobody's pointed his direction Steve's entire life. No man or woman. Sly and charming and flirtatious as if Steve's a treat to be gobbled up and he'd be overwhelmed if he didn't want to kiss him so damn much.

Here's a 40's boy experiencing a man calling him darling. That same man had expressed the desire to be kissed and given him permission.

He twists his fingers in the man's collar and tugs him down to kiss him. A few inches feel like a mile but he's stronger than he looks and there's something thrumming in his veins that's more than the one drink he'd had earlier. ]

[ oh, that's much better. for faeries, moments like this--the turning of a new year--are auspicious, and what better way to celebrate and revere them than by letting himself be pulled down into a kiss that tastes of champagne and determination.

marigold is-- well, there's no two ways around it really: he's old. he's old enough to remember when human civilization was young and new, old enough to remember creatures that mortals call myths now. he's danced with gods and lain with demons, and yet.. a first kiss with someone new will never, ever lose its appeal and its beauty. he takes the memory of this one and seals it inside a little box, to be taken out and treasured again and again long after the lips beneath his own are dust.

but that's in the future. for now, mari slides his hands up over steve's shoulders, letting his wrists cross neatly at his nape. his lips part, softening the kiss, deepening it, tongue flicking against the young man's own to coax it in. ]

i; why the heck not

[ So he had a weird dream that involved deers, and then woke up somewhere that wasn't home.

He went to nap thinking he'd be back inside the big futon with his brothers next to him, but nope. Same creepy surroundings all around him.

Sure! Okay! He'll take that! No problem!

With that sort of coping mechanism kicking in and keeping him cheerful, Jyushimatsu will take part in the celebrations for the new year, although he was quite sure he was in mid-March before he was dropped in here. Whatever, he doesn't care, there's a party and he can't be confused and upset when a party has just started!

There's alcohol that he'll dawn all the way even without being compelled to, and it's funny because he doesn't even feel drunk and yet he's spurred by an urge to be his usual cheerful self, just 300% better (or worse, depending). He'll be out and about, approaching people more easily than he would as the normally useless NEET he is. It's good to make friends and forget even harder about the situation he's in, right? ]

Hey there! I really like the outside of your elbows!

[ Yeah, that's a compliment that he just blurts out with zero thought behind it. Have a dude wearing an oversized yellow hoodie and waving a long sleeve at you, just inches close from slapping that across your face by accident. ]

ii; i am a 20-something years old virgin and what is this (lucky)

[ The new year has come, and Jyushimatsu is flustered.

Before he can make sense of his own feelings, whoever stands next to him is suddenly invading his space and...

He reacts too fast, and too eager as he leans in and hopes to have his first kiss stolen by a random stranger. Instead what he gets is a face smashed against his own, and he distinctly hear a cracking sound coming from his nose, which starts profusely bleeding like a fountain when he pulls back. The NEET's eyes wander in different direction as he wobbles dizzily before shaking his head so hard it becomes a blur, and then smiles quite sheepishly regardless of all that blood. ]

Hahahaha! Sorry about that! Should we try again?

iii; canon typical violence (unlucky)

[ The new year has come, and Jyushimatsu is pissed.

No reason why that's happening. He's not angry over not being able to go back home. Hell, he's even liking it here! And the air is not chill enough to trigger his murderous rage. But even so, he's overcome with the urge to kill something, and before you know it he's holding an axe in his sleeve and there's no wood to chop here. Flesh and bones will do.

It's fine. People come back after they die. It's how it also worked in his world, so why not here?

With a growl, he raises his axe and swings it down on his target. ]

iv; wildcard

[ Feel free to tag me with something outside of these prompts or hit me up via PM if you wanna plot! ]

i. arrival

[ Sarah comes awake with a gasp and instinctively reaches around to feel the spots on her back that she's sure must be bleeding after she was raked across the ground. It seemed so real, and yet she feels unhurt. Only very, very confused, not to mention pissed off. She follows the music to the blessings basket and stares blankly at what's inside—remnants of her life, some food, a typed letter. The letter ends up crumpled in one hand as she makes her way to the front door and looks out onto quiet streets. The scenery looks familiar enough: small town, northeast, it could almost be a Toronto suburb. But it isn't. It isn't, and she begins to panic. ]

Hey! [ She walks down the front steps and out onto the sidewalk, looking around for something, someone. Her voice is low and rough, working-class English. The leather jacket and tight black jeans don't exactly look like they belong on this suburban street. She begins to half run after the first person she sees, reaching out to yank them roughly around to face her. ] Hey, what the fuck's going on!

ii. party

[ It's been long enough for her to calm down, a little bit, and the party atmosphere is certainly helping her relax. Sure, she doesn't know anyone, but she's never needed to know the people she's hanging with. The champagne's helping a lot. She's never exactly been a bubbly girl, she prefers harder drinks, something she can really get lost in—but the champagne seems to be doing it for her tonight, and she's grinning, laughing even, as she enjoys the party atmosphere. ]

This is... this is amazing. [ The way she says it is almost like a question, like she can't believe herself, and it kind of is. How can she be having such a great time when she's just been ripped away from her family, her kid, everyone? And yet here she is. She even raises her glass to whoever's nearby. What the hell, right? ]

iii. midnight

[ Sarah's got her arm thrown around someone's back, loose and comfortable, as the countdown starts. She has no idea who they are, but what the hell, right? She can kiss someone. It's midnight, innit, the new year, so who cares what she does? Who she does? She deserves to have some fun. Some time off from all the bullshit.

As the countdown finishes, she's ready for the real party to start, but she's interrupted by a scream coming from just a couple feet away as someone grabs for the nearest knife and plunges it into the shoulder of the person they'd been dancing with up until that very moment. Sarah reacts before she can consciously think about what she's doing, taking several quick steps back and almost bumping into whoever might be standing nearby. She can hear more screams coming from different points around the countdown clock, and there's a table full of goddamn weapons sitting right there that somehow she never noticed. ]

We need to get out of here. [ Said to whoever's around and looking, you know, sane. ]

iv. wildcard

[ Throw a comment up here, or hit me up at

errorchord if you want to do something else! ]

Edited 2018-12-30 21:38 (UTC)

[This is a fever dream. That's the only explanation Gwendolyn can think of. She's about to fall to her death and her battle weary mind is giving these visions to her.

'Tis a pity it could not be a vision of familiar faces. She would much prefer that over a ball. But seeing a throng of festive people, celebrating themselves and their lives, isn't so terrible either. It would be remiss to not to join them. With a little fluff of her wings at her hips, she steps out into the crowd.]

I. BOTTOMS UP
alas that's not how she'll win the game

[Games involving alcohol aren't unfamiliar to her-- though she's never participated in any personally. The soldiers were too reverent of her to ask her to join, and she didn't have her sister's familiarity with them to insert herself into the competitions. But she is a Valkyrie, and she can hold her drink, and frankly she deserves this after defeating Levethan. So when there seems to be an opening, she steps up and nods in acknowledgement of her opponent.]

Well met. I need only a brief explanation of the rules before we start, if you would be so kind.

II. A ROYAL WALLFLOWER
obligatory culture shock prompt

[But the dancing! Gwendolyn finds herself staring at the way her fellow revelers are moving. Even the most commonfolk festival dancing in Ragnanival isn't as wild as this. She would not abandon her yet-to-be-seen partner, but she isn't sure she could be a good match for him, either. Perhaps if she explains herself once they meet.

She wanders the edge of the dance floor, occasionally glancing down at her ensorcelled card to check if the glow is stronger or not, and then finally comes to a stop.]

Good evening. I am Gwendolyn of Ragnanival. It would be my pleasure to be your partner for the next dance. Though I will confess that I am ignorant of how to perform it.

[Straight and to the point!]

III. TO WAR
don't piss off a valkyrie

[Good luck to whoever is next to Gwendolyn when the countdown hits zero: they're dealing with an experienced war general. She has no specific target in mind, but that also means that everyone is her target. And if they try to run, well...]

COWARD! Face the harbinger of your death!

[She kicks off from the ground and hovers in the air with her hip-wings for the briefest moment before divebombing at her target, letting loose a war cry, her sword extended.]

IV. WILDCARD

[Feel free to write your own starter!]

But of course.

[he puts down his own ante and signals for another round for the table, dealer included]

Got it in one! I've been with the Bureau for a few years now.

[without skipping a beat:] How long have you been on the force?

You're absolutely right. The authorities need to be notified. I'll cover you.

[Coop is already scanning the room, seeing which of the exits he noted upon arrival is most open and safe]

Hello, Steve, Dale Cooper, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Apologies if this is a silly question, but have you read the letter in that beautiful basket you received? Beyond that, I'm afraid I can't offer much. Yet.

I might just be blind, but can I ask if the New Year's party is located in a familiar place, like the club, or the hotel, etc...?

[ TIME TO GO ALL PROFESH.

Except not even at all. ]

Hey!

Cap?

Captain America?

It's me! Spider-Man!

[ a. get this party started; cw: underage drinking ]

[Alright, so. This is bad. And not even the usual Alex Messed Up™ kind of bad, because usually that kind can be fixed with the right amount of magic and can-do spirit. No, this is the kind of bad that has only happened to her twice so far, the kind that likes to come along just when she thinks her life has achieved some kind of permanence.]

I'll be taking two of these, thanks.

[She scoops a cup of beer right off of the pong table without so much as a look at the players and starts to skulk away. In a grey flight suit (A. RUSSO emblazoned across the breast) and high-heeled boots, she doesn't exactly fit in as she commits grand beer larceny, particularly because she's clearly less than twenty-one years of age. If you let her get far enough away from the table, however, she'll proceed to fit in even less, when she reaches into one of the boots and pulls out what looks like (???) a magic wand.]

Think, think- [She taps it against her mouth for a moment, before something seems to come to her.]

This day has really sucked, you see,
so make this beer a daiquiri.

[And with a little wave of the wand, the amber liquid in the cup turns red and frosty.]

[ b. happy new year ]

[The second she sees her neighbors start kissing, Alex is outies.]

Eugh. [She takes another beer off the pong table as she scoots out of the corner, headed for the front door, and is already pulling out her wand to transform it when she runs right into- ] Crap.

[The good news? Beer won't stain as much as the strawberry daiquiri would have, so your clothes are probably safe. The bad news? That depends on how the New Years spell affected you.]

(( OOC: information on alex's crau can be found here ))

Not long enough, and not anymore. Good guess, though. Got a specialty?

[ Some people are jacks of all trades, some are specialists. Some people don’t like to talk about work. He doesn’t care so much about how Dale plays poker, but he’s exuberantly interested in knowing how Agent Cooper works. And not just thanks to the champagne. ]

It's nice to meet you, Dale Cooper.
I have but I'm interested in what you'd have to say about it.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 54